Producing light by electricity.



E. VVIJINTRAUB.

PRODUCING LIGHT BY ELECTRICITY.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1902.

1,086, 1 O4. Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

Fig. 2..

l7\ f I l /l7 4 A8 WITNESSES. A IHVENTOR I Egechie! Weimmub. I

M W b plication filed concurrently herewith, I have impress upon the terminals of the lamp, for

starting eleotro-mot-ive force operates or at EZECHIEL WEINTBAUB, OF SGHENEGTAD Y, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A conrona'rron orwnwromc rnonuomo LIGHT Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed, February 26, 1902. Serial No. 85,664.

BY ELECTRICITY.

Patented Feb. 3, 1 914.

'1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Ezuculm. Vi niurnAun, a subject of the Czar of Russia, residing at Schenectady, count of Schenectady, State of New York, ave invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Producing Light by Electricity, of which the following is a specification.

The invention which I have hereinafter described relates to certain improvements in vapor electric apparatus of that t 'pc in which electrical ene gy is converter into light through the medium of yaporous or gaseousmatter maintained in a luminescent condition by the electric current. In an apdescribed and have claimed broadly certain features of invention whereby a lamp of this character may he started into 0 oration, together with other correlated 'eatures unnecessary here to mention. In the present amilication I propose to disclose certain modified means for operating the lamp, the novel features of which will be pointed out in the appended claims and described in detail in the following specification, in which- Figure 1 represents one en'ihodiment of my intention, and Fig. 2 a different form of the invention. p

I will premise my description of these detailed arrangements by startling that in lamps of the general character mentioned, various difficulties and disadvantages have heretofore been attendant upon the means employed for starting purposes. The usual method of starting the arc, of which of course there are various modifications, is to a certain period or periods, a high electromotive force, many times greater in value than the normal eleetro-motive force at which the lamp intended to operate. This least appears to operate to break down the high initial resistance between the terminals of the lamp, whereupon the lamp starts.

My present invention, among other valuable features, provides means operating automatically or otherwise whereby a lump of the type mentioned will start into opera tion by the utilization of f electro motive iorce no greater than that impressed upon the lamp circuit by the supply mains. The starting is performed by producho locally within the lamp ionized vapor which, due to the migration of its ions as I at present believe, permits the lamp who started into operation by the application of the normal voltage to its terminals. After the lamp has been started, the supplemental or auxiliary source of ionized vapor may if desired be cut out of circuit, and to perform this function as wellas to initiate the production of ionized vapor, I may rrake use of the arrangements shown in the drawings above referred to.

Referring to Fig. 1, the lamp will be seen to consist of a main tube 1 of indefinite length as indicated by the dotted lines 2. This tube may-beexhausted through a suitable channel as for example the tubular projection scaled r as shown. At either end of the lamp are electrodes, the lower electrode eonsistir." of a body of vaporizable material preferably of mercury filling a narrow downward extension 4 of the lamp and also a small portion of the main body.

of the tube as indicated. The downward extension 4 1s provided-with a platinum or other leadi'ngdn wire or terminal 5 sealed into the tube. The upper end of the tube is provided with an electrode 6 which cooperates with the main electrode at the lower end of the lamp. This upper electrode may be formed of various materials such for ex ample as a mixture'of graphite and clay which possesses the valuable advantage that it does not readily occlude gases, or, if it does do so. it exercises no tenacioushold upon the gases during the exhaustion arid initial heating of the lamp. This electrode maybe connected by a suitable sealed-in wire 7 with a supplelncntal evacuated chamher 8, the object of which is to relieve the pressure upon the joint between the wire 7 and the surrounding glass, thereby reducing: the danger of deterioration of' the vacuum of the main tube through the-lealc age of air about the sealrddn Wire 7. This wire '4' is electrically connected to a coiled or other extensible wire 9 having its outer end scaled through the wall of the chamber and forming an external terminal 10 through which the main current 11? fed to the lump.

in roiiprratiw ariatlQn/to the body l mercury forming the lower" ctr-ode or'catlr ode of the lamp, is mounted. an electrode 11 which is arranged to act wsa suppirntrts t-al llllUtlt a material not readily vaporizsble, is sup ported within the lower portion ofthe lamp, and, as shown in Fig. l, is carried by asort of septumlQ formed in atubular projection 13. The resulting inclosed chamber 14: is ex.- hausted and through it passes a suitable e ectrical connection such as a Wire 15 sealed through the wall of this chamber and projecting outside to form an external terminal 1e.

Connecti0ns from mains 17-18 supplying direct current may be made to the lamp as indicated, the negative main being connected through a switch 19 to the terminal 5 communicating with the body of mercury which constitutes the cathode of the lamp, the other main 1.7 being joined by branch conductors with the main terminal 10 and the supplemental terminal 16 respectively. In these branches are inserted resistances which may be adjustablel To start the lamp, which may be suspended'from a ring "20, it may be slightly shaken or moved about its suspension so as to cause the body of mercury to come into contact with the supplemental anode 11. This contact; being of course immediately broken as the mercury recedes, causes an are or discharge of current to take place, which discharge sets free or reduces mercury vapor in an ionized. con ition. The ions thus freed travel along the static lines of force, or otherwise progress from one main terminal to the other, and under suitable conditions cause an apparently insta-nl meous starting of the el-zrrent between the main terminals of the lamp, in the accomplishment of which the lamp is filled with a brilliant whitish light. Of course the physical operation which taltes place in starting the lamp may ditler from that which I have above mentioned and which at present ap pears to me to be reasonable explanation of the phenomena observed, but it is obvio'us that this as well as various other or planations to the theory of operation of the lamp may be indulged in without affecting the value of my invention, the mode of practising which ma with the aid of information hich I have given. herein, be carried out successfully in ;the ahsenci'r of any certain knowledge as to the nature of the physical actions which take;

place.

As 1 hav (lPHHllhQtl in on application filed concurrently l'ni-rewith and referred to itlJOVL. it appears to be ne ary to the proper operation of the starting: means for my luinP that the va uum should be of as high q chute:- as pos ible. l have found that a: vaeummrc -rewntml by column of mvrun cia height of abonl on then smdm of a millim ter gives n'i s t re ol ct result if T have shown a hung: simiizii' in many respects to that shown in Fig. l but (littering therefrom in that it starts into operation automatically upon turning on of the current. The supplemental anode 20 in l'lllfi lamp, instead of being mounted out of contact with the mercury cathode 21 of the lamp, suspended by a spring or other support in a tubular chamber 23 comn'mnicating with the interior of the lamp, the suspension being such as to allow I the lower portion of the anode to dip into 29, which is of conducting material, is connected electrically through a supplemental exhausted chamber 24, of a character simi- 8Q lar to those already described, with the external terminal 25 sealed through the walls of this supplemental chamlver. This terminal is connected to one of the directeurrent mains 1.7--l8 and includes in the 1 connecting circuit a solenoid 26 and two contacts 27 adapted to be connected by a bridging contact 28 controlled magnetically by a. solenoid Q9 operatively related to a magnetic core 30 carrying the bridging 0011- tact. The supplemental anode 20 being formed of magnetic material and the solenoid 26 being mounted about the tubular extension Within operative relation to this anode 20 which acts as a core for the solenoid, it will be seen that when the lamp switch 31 is closed current. will now through the S TI-lllli'llll which Will immediately draw its core of magnetic material 20, constituting an anode, out of engagement with the body of mercury 21, thereby striking an are or causing a similar flow of current which, by causing ionized mercury vapor to be set free, initiates the flow of the main currentof the lamp throughout the length of the main tube 1. in a manner already briefly referred to. As soon as the main current starts, the solenoid 29 acting upon its core 30 'immei'liately Withdraws the bridging contact 28 and so cuts out of circuit the starting device already described. If desired, however, this cut-out device may be onli tted as in Fig. 1; while in Fig. 1, altho ugh .l have shown no means either manual or otherwise for cutting out the supplemental circuit, such means may be provided.

.Uthough the automatic cut-out to which l have l ieretot'ore referred may be used or not, as des red, to interrupt the sup p tinemal or auxiliary circuit, it need not always, when used in't-his onneetimi, be arranged to interrupt the e cult but may, und r certain conditions, luv employed to vary the r iaian e of this cir uit by opening or clos ng" ort eir :-uit ab ut a portion or all willie TL. .tan 'c in t): 1 uppla-nacntal irruil: and further it may if d sired, be adj I as to f ll'l fll'lli thes i nctions zit 'ihu: if. it is the mereurv 21 as indicated. The spring 1 ziwircd i run current in, the; 11.12121 mi) :1 iuw mum, "for exampic, the cutout m! arrnn 0 so as to short-Q31 nit a pmtimz of 1.21:; n dance in the supplenmmll cif'cuii, thmeby nmrensing the current flow if. erein r and so mnintrtwining stable operation of the lamp :1; the scmcwd low current value. Or i1. may be adjusted ta reduce the supple Narnia] circuit current when the main are Marts since when the main are is in opm min-n {he mppmn'lenmi will run on iuwm v i i damn as new and (i re to svcurc by LA H'T: Mtnnt 01 the: Emmi u 1 1. The e30nabi1flili011 in a mp0s 4 2m)! 0? 2m exhausted vim-um m:

eyefor, mm of which has :2 wm- 11g xwnsinn peryendicuhn' m n, 2221;: 'ng said main ilQIYU'OdQS and of vap0rwank: nmtcriai and a nm1-vapojrizable supphmenml ekuitmde coiipemtively reiaiied m combimstion in a. vapor electric; 3; ,JIULHZUS, of main dwecmxios, 0m; 11.? I cuff which 0f mercury and hrw an xtmx aims on its edge. and a snppkmental elm nmtvrial nut mndily \zqxfiizzmh making ralzatim; Tn 111w my connected '0 :& body of nuzrmu'y i n'uzams "for making and breakaction Mmween the mm.

921 11 wide ch Trude mmn opera vupcwrizabh: dechwde and formed of a ma In a, vapmelvctric apparatuatheconv hirmii n wiih rm exhaustird envelop, of a plurality of coiperating electrv-Csus in said cumin: is an anode :mhi in iornwd at a mm rial cuntaining gi'luphiie and 123108161 is a Unthwie and fv-rmml of z'asgml'emitnng mam (3. h a v 13m (iconic nppnmi: the 120m binznisn with an avd'mushrd m'u'eiop, of a mp5s! emitting uzzthmle 119mm, and a c0- operating anode formed of gnumiic km! :1 hiwlingr mm ml 7. 'Hm mmfivinutim: of an exhausted on 1013. a vaporimhln cathode. therein, and a t'xiiiplraf m; anode imw'md of a material com taming graphite.

In :1 qua or vapor apparatus of the mnminvr having a rid? clmmlwr, n smtiorv my vlelrtx'odi, with a conducting bxtenslon pxmwting iztn said (rhmnbm and a movable uk-(qtiodv 7 Fine cluunber t0 uoifipemm min i man, and an clcctxiwmnngnet minim; 70 Luv :1 pymmtus, the m0 111% aim rode :mhng as an armature for mud magnet.

In witmws 'Wl'mwmf, I have l'aelt'euntu set my hand fins 134th day 12f Februnry, 1993i EZECHIEL WEIETRAUB.

itness-2:5; 

